Six unexpected places salt is hiding in your diet

By Natasha Turner, ND | Chatelaine – Fri, 24 Jan, 2014 8:00 AM EST
This article was originally published in Yahoo Shine 

Not only do cold cuts have high sodium content, whole wheat bread can also be alarmingly high. (Photo, Istock.)

With more than 75 percent of adults consuming almost twice the recommended amount of sodium per day (Health Canada reported the average Canadian adult consumed 3,400 mg of sodium per day in 2012), the effort by government agencies and health care professionals to promote awareness of the health risks associated with excess salt intake is no surprise. In Canada it’s recommended that adults 14 to 50 years old consume 1,500 mg per day. At age 51 that number drops to 1,300 mg per day.

Despite this info I must confess that this flavour-enhancing seasoning is a true love of mine. I readily add it to my meals without tasting one bite. But even I, a self-admitted salt-aholic, was astonished after looking deeper into the matter as unexpected foods and products lurking with ladles of hidden sodium were uncovered. Here are the top five ways to skip sneaky sources of salt that may be sabotaging your health.

1. Medication
Yes, it's true. This study from the University of Dundee in Scotland explains that taking the maximum daily dose of some medicines would exceed the recommended daily limits for sodium, without changing anything in your diet. The study compared 1.2 million patients taking sodium-based medication with those who took non-sodium medication, resulting in over 61,000 incidents of cardiovascular events. Overall, the researchers found that patients, “. . . taking the sodium-containing effervescent, dispersible and soluble medications had a 16-percent-increased risk of a heart attack, stroke or vascular death compared with other patients taking the non-sodium versions of those exact medications.”

Bottom line: Ask your doctor if the sodium levels in your medication will affect your health. If you are prescribed a high-sodium medication, ensure that you're being carefully monitored during the process.

2. Cottage cheese
You've probably heard that cottage cheese is a healthier protein option, and the rumours are true! However, some versions of this dieters’ dream protein can contain more than 900 mg of sodium per cup. Yikes!

Bottom line: If cottage cheese is your protein of choice, opt for the low-sodium options to slash the sodium in half. You can also try swapping the curds for natural, plain zero-percent Greek yogurt for only 70 mg of sodium per 3/4 cup or ricotta cheese that contains very little sodium per serving.

3. Breakfast foods
Nothing is better than morning energy! Reaching for your favourite box of cereal paired with low-fat milk and berries can offer you a fibre-rich, nutritious meal. However, many cereal brands can also lend an overdose in sodium. With a common range of 170 to 300 mg of sodium per serving, it's worth taking a better look at each label. A 2013 study looking at Kellogg and General Mills showed these companies have made efforts to reduce sodium levels in their cereals, but there’s a long way to go before all brands jump on-board.

Not a cereal person? Don't jump to frozen alternatives just yet. Four frozen pancakes can pack up to 740 mg of sodium, putting up some good competition for home fries.

Bottom line: If you can't get out of the cereal habit look for low-sodium options such as shredded wheat brands or plain oats. Add some high-antioxidant fruit such as blueberries with low-fat milk to reap great additional benefits and keep your insulin levels low.

4. Sports drinks
You've probably heard that sports drinks can pump unnecessary amounts of sugar into your bloodstream, but that's not the only ingredient that overwhelms our bodies. When we sweat our bodies naturally get dehydrated by losing electrolytes (salt). This explains the large portions of fuel professional athletes guzzle during a game - it quickly replenishes their fluids to give them more energy. Unfortunately, shopping for shoes doesn't add up to the same expenditure for us everyday people. Most of us don’t even sweat enough during a half-hour workout to justify these high-sugar, high-salt drinks.

Bottom line: If your body doesn't need to replenish its electrolyte count, you're consuming additional calories and close to 450 mg of sodium per litre. Try to rehydrate your body with water throughout the day to keep your body quenched.

5. Vegetable juice
Why eat your vegetables, when you could drink them, right? Before you swear off broccoli forever, check the label before you chug. One-hundred-percent vegetable juices can still contain upwards of 500 mg of sodium, making any of the benefits not worth the liquid option. This 2013 study proves that salt levels in food are higher than ever, so it is up to us to make the smart decision.

Bottom line: Believe it or not, raw vegetables contain sodium too. The good news is, it's not a harmful amount, so you can always count on the real deal to be the healthiest option. The benefit of pressing your own juice means absorbing all the nutrients, with no added chemicals like potassium chloride. If vegetable juice is the only option, grab the low-sodium version.

6. Whole wheat bread
Whole wheat bread is a staple for many health-conscious people because its high fibre, helps to lower cholesterol and prevent heart disease. Whether you're making toast, sandwiches or getting crafty with croutons, its benefits trump the white stuff. Unfortunately, sodium is finding its way into a lot of whole wheat bread brands in amounts that average 240 to 400 mg per slice. If your serving usually contains two slices, the sodium can add up quickly.

Bottom line: Take the extra time to read labels, and aim for 100 percent whole wheat breads that contain 170 mg of sodium or less per slice. This will allow your body to benefit from the nutrition while keeping your sodium levels down. As a tip, check to make sure whole wheat flour or whole grain is the first ingredient on the nutrition label, and other ingredients such as sugar or salt aren't sneaking in.

Not feeling so hot? Here are some signs that you've had too much sodium:

1. Bloating
Excessive salt can cause uncomfortable bloating. When the body is retaining salt it tries to break it down by holding onto water. The most efficient way to solve this problem is to drink even more water! This will help flush out the salt as fast as possible, which will help your belly and stress go down.

2. Thirst
One of the largest signs of high sodium levels is chronic dehydration in the body. Excessive sweating in combination with small fluid intake will lead to dehydration very quickly, which can lead to larger issues. The thirst you're feeling represents your body trying to balance your sodium and fluids in the body.

3. Dizziness
Changes in your blood pressure will occur when high levels of sodium are lurking in your body. This is especially obvious when you stand up and feel dizzy or experience "blacking out." Continue to take it easy, and pound the H20.

4. Gastrointestinal symptoms
When sodium levels increase, you may experience some uncomfortable symptoms. Unfortunately, our bodies don't react well to imbalanced fluids resulting in nausea, vomiting and severe sweating. The more dehydrated your body gets, the greater the chances of this happening. To ensure you stay well hydrated, drink eight to 10 glasses of water per day, even when you don't feel thirsty.

LiveJournal Tags: Healthy Diet,Salt,health,foods

Natasha Turner, N.D., is a naturopathic doctor, Chatelaine magazine columnist and author of the bestselling books The Hormone Diet, The Supercharged Hormone Diet and The Carb Sensitivity Program. She's also the founder of the Toronto-based Clear Medicine Wellness Boutique and a regular guest on The Dr. Oz Show and The Marilyn Denis Show. For more wellness advice from Natasha Turner, click here.

It's the new year, and you know what that means: no more excuses. It's easier than ever to get back on track with our new Do Diet ebook. Our dietitian-approved meal plan, great weight-loss tips and easy-to-do-anywhere workouts will help you drop a dress size in just a few short weeks and get you swimsuit ready by spring.

Available on the iBookstore, Kobo and Amazon.

More from Chatelaine:

• Could you ever give up sugar completely?
• The common ingredient that may be making you overeat
• The link between junk food and Alzheimer's
• Four easy exercises to rev up your metabolism
• Four reasons to take a break from booze

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3 Surprisingly Easy Things You Can Do to Live Longer

By David B. Agus, MD, author, "A Short Guide to a Long Life" | Healthy Living 
Fri, 24 Jan, 2014 5:04 PM EST
This article was originally published in Yahoo Shine

One way to live longer? Keep a regular schedule (and that means all the time.)
Image: Corbis

Most of us have only a general sense of what we can do to live a good, long life, and eating well, exercising, and getting a good night's sleep are the go-to, standard health tips we all know. But beyond these universal wisdoms, I believe we can all further increase our odds of an even longer and higher-quality life with few other strategies most of us rarely think about.

Keep a Regular Schedule
Admittedly, this is a hard one to actually follow, but I know first-hand the value of maintaining a predictable schedule on a daily basis. I go to bed and get up at the same time every day (and yes, that means weekends too), eat meals at approximately the same time every day, take any prescribed medication on cue every day, and plan my workouts at roughly the same time.
Some days I'm better than others. Lately, I've been traveling across different time zones for work, in addition to doing the "CBS This Morning" show once a week. The program is shot live in New York, so I have to be at the studio in Los Angeles, where I live, by 4 a.m. on those mornings. It's hard to keep a regular schedule with these kinds of responsibilities, but I do the best I can. When I travel for two or more days, for example, I switch my schedule to the time zone of my destination, but try to stay on Pacific Daylight Time for very short trips.

More on Yahoo Shine: 5 Ways to Stop Feeling so Hungry

Why does a regular schedule make such a big difference? Your body loves predictability. It's one of the best ways to reduce stress and maintain a balanced state of being. Take, for instance, the mundane habit of eating lunch. If you consistently eat at high noon, and one day an unexpected phone call or obligation has you postponing your lunch until much later, your body won’t just show physiological signs of hunger in that waiting period. It will also experience a surge in cortisol, the stress hormone that tells our bodies to hold tightly to fat and to conserve energy. The body, in essence, goes into survival mode because it’s suddenly unable to predict when it will get its next meal. And that increased cortisol further adds to your lifetime risk for numerous health problems, from weight gain and sleep problems to depression, heart disease, and memory and concentration impairment. So if you keep a consistent routine every single day, especially with regard to your body's natural rhythms, you'll feel the difference: more energy, enhanced sense of well-being and (bonus!) weight loss will become easier, too.
Make a goal in 2014 to stick to a very regular routine daily. And don't beat yourself up if you fall of the proverbial wagon. Just get back on it again as soon as possible.

Get off Your Butt More (in Addition to Formal Exercise)
Regardless of your exercise routine, you have increase the amount of time you move each day. Our bodies were designed to move. In fact, movement makes our bodies work. It's how virtually every system and organ in the body stays nourished, refreshed, and ready to tackle any challenges.
Here's the bad news: Sitting for five hours a day (as so many of us do thanks to computer-focused desk jobs) is equivalent on a health basis of smoking a pack of cigarettes daily, and, sorry, this is true even if you sweat it out for an hour at the gym. The sad truth is that we have designed our lives to be immobile, as certain technologies make us more automatically sedentary for much of the day.

Related: Why You Need a Flu Shot Right Now (an excerpt from Dr. Agus' new book)

Early last year I wore Nike Fuel Band on my wrist for the first time and was shocked to discover just how much I was on my derriere. I bought a hands-free headset that day, which allows me to walk around my office while I talk on the phone (I may look like an air traffic controller, but I have significantly reduced the amount of time I sit). I also got a treadmill desk for my office. Within a week I had mastered the skill of checking email while walking slowly. Now I walk on it one to two hours on it a day while responding to emails. I also focus on my accelerometer to make sure I get enough movement over time each day.
Of course, if you can't swing a treadmill desk at your workplace, there's plenty you can do without one: Get up every hour and walk around for five minutes; park farther away from your destination; call certain people back throughout the day when you don’t have to be at a desk and can take a walk while using your cell phone or a wireless headset. Simply put: Don't spend the whole workday sitting.

Mobilize Your Medical Data
Focus on being in charge of your own health and collecting data about your body. I've personally tackled this one head on, checking my blood pressure on a regular basis and sending the information to my doctor. I also have uploaded all of my medical information to an online cloud. That way if I get sick, or God forbid, land in the emergency room, I can access all of my medical information at the touch of a keyboard. You keep tabs on plenty of other important information via computer, why not your medical records too? Since any of us can fall ill while on vacation or at midnight on a weekend when the doctor's office isn't open, we need to be in charge of our own data and make sure it's there when we need it.

More on Yahoo Shine: How Gratitude Can Improve Your Life

Changes like these, while relatively simple, may not be the easiest to implement, but there's compelling scientific proof behind them that we can't ignore. And we shouldn't forget that positive changes to our health, however small, ultimately impact all of us as a collective society. As the former Supreme Court justice Potter Stewart once said, "There is a big difference between what we have the right to do and what is right to do." Health changes should, at long last, focus on the latter.  The good news is that if we make them we actually can feel better and enjoy the remarkable life we have.

David B. Agus, MD, is a professor of medicine and engineering at the University of Southern California and heads USC's Westside Cancer Center and the Center for Applied Molecular Medicine. He's also the author of A Short Guide to a Long Life. Author of "A Short Guide to a Long Life." He lives in Beverly Hills, California.

LiveJournal Tags: Health,Longevity,Healthy Diet,Fitness

100 Reasons You Should Work Out Today

By: Nicole Nichols, SparkPeople Blogger
4/8/2013 6:00 AM
This post originally published at SparlPeople.com

LiveJournal Tags: Fitness,health

 

We all have those days that we don't want to work out even though we know we should.
When you need a little motivation, look no further.
Here are 100 reasons you shouldn't skip your workout today.
Print, save, pin or "like" this post so you'll have easy access to it on the days you need it most.
100 Reasons to Exercise Now

1. Because it makes you feel confident
2. Because it helps you get stronger
3. Because exercise helps combat depression
4. Because you'll feel proud of yourself
5. Because you have goals you want to reach
6. Because you'll feel bad if you don't
7. Because you want to move forward, not backward
8. Because it burns more calories than not working out
9. Because it improves your heart health
10. Because you want a great butt
11. Because it prevents diabetes
12. Because you want to be a good example to your kids
13. Because you want to feel good in your clothes
14. Because it reduces your risk of cancer
15. Because your body was made to move
16. Because you want to be an athlete
17. Because you want to look better
18. Because it lifts your mood
19. Because you want to stand taller
20. Because it reduces back pain
21. Because it feels good
22. Because it makes you feel accomplished
23. Because you spend most of your day on your butt
24. Because swimsuit season is always coming
25. Because strong is the new skinny
26. Because dieting only works so much
27. Because it strengthens your bones, too
28. Because it helps you lose weight
29. Because it allows you to eat more food
30. Because it's the best way to spend "me" time
31. Because it helps you de-stress
32. Because it's cheaper than therapy
33. Because you want a strong core
34. Because you want to take care for yourself
35. Because you take pride in your body
36. Because it strengthens your legs
37. Because it helps your clothes fit better
38. Because you want to push yourself
39. Because you are capable of more than you ever imagined
40. Because moving your body feels good
41. Because it keeps your mind sharp
42. Because it helps you beat belly bloat
43. Because it helps you sleep better at night
44. Because it gives you energy
45. Because you want to stay healthy as you age
46. Because you want to look younger
47. Because you want toned arms
48. Because it improves your balance
49. Because it burns off last night's dessert
50. Because it boosts your immune system
51. Because sweat is sexy
52. Because you want to live longer
53. Because you want to get better at your game
54. Because you want to catch someone's eye
55. Because exercisers earn more money
56. Because you're more likely to eat better when you exercise
57. Because you want to shave time off your running pace
58. Because you want to breathe easier
59. Because you want to see the scale drop
60. Because exercise improves your sex life
61. Because you are worth it
62. Because being fit makes everything in life better
63. Because you promised yourself that you would
64. Because you deserve a better life
65. Because it'll help you drink more water
66. Because you want to do real push-ups
67. Because it reduces your health care costs
68. Because you'll miss fewer days of work
69. Because you want to create a new future for yourself
70. Because it'll help you like what you see in the mirror
71. Because it makes clothing shopping more fun
72. Because you want to look and feel incredible
73. Because exercising can be fun
74. Because it'll give your skin a glow
75. Because it's a good way to spend time with your friends
76. Because it'll help you prevent the middle-age spread
77. Because it reduces your blood pressure
78. Because you don't want to let yourself go
79. Because you don't want to squeeze into an airplane or rollercoaster seat
80. Because it strengthens your spirit
81. Because it's a cheap way to entertain yourself
82. Because you'll be able to reward yourself
83. Because you need a reason to wear those new workout clothes
84. Because you're tired of being tired
85. Because not working out is not going to get you very far
86. Because it's a great way to spend time outside
87. Because you made a commitment to yourself
88. Because you're tired of starting over
89. Because there will always be another wedding, vacation or reunion
90. Because you're not a quitter
91. Because it improves your cholesterol
92. Because it boosts your metabolism
93. Because it prevents age-related muscle loss
94. Because if you can do this, you can do anything
95. Because a fit body is a healthy body
96. Because it beats sitting on the couch
97. Because  everyone has at least 10 minutes to spare
98. Because you want to be stronger than your excuses
99. Because not working out isn't working out for you
100. Because the only workout you ever regret is the one you skip

What Cardiologists Tell Their Friends

By Redbook | Healthy Living – Mon, 1 Apr, 2013 9:45 AM EDT

What's better than having a fashionista or a foodie as a BFF? Being pals with a heart doctor. The health advice these experts give their nearest and dearest can help you live longer, healthier, and more sanely.

By Lisa Mulcahy, REDBOOK.

"Go easy with the exercise"

"A lot of my female friends are very focused on staying fit, and that's great. But new research shows that running even 20 to 25 miles a week, which a lot of women log, can actually age your heart. Repeated excessive effort can overstretch the heart muscle, causing micro-size tears--damage that is often seen in marathon runners. The scary truth is that it can reverse the benefits of cardio exercise, putting you in the same fitness boat as couch potatoes who never work out! I have a friend who is a triathlete--she swims, runs, and bikes every day--and I told her, 'If you want to see the Olympics in 2052, start cutting back your workouts now.' It's fine to run, but don't clock more than four running days per week or more than about four miles per run. The other three days? Take a walk!" --James O'Keefe, M.D., preventive cardiologist at Saint Luke's Mid America Heart Institute in Kansas City, MO

"Try not to wake up before 5 a.m."

"One friend of mine, a CEO of a very successful company, prides himself on getting out of bed at 4:30 to get a jump on his business competition. I told him, 'If you don't let yourself sleep till 5, you're setting yourself up for a heart attack.' He laughed, 'I'm too rich to die!' But he listened when I told him that most people's internal clock resets itself every morning at approximately 5 a.m. Wake up before that and your stress hormones can surge--this is one reason why most heart attacks occur around 3 or 4 a.m. Making this adjustment won't destroy your career, but it potentially will save your life." --Lisa Matzer, M.D., cardiologist in Los Angeles

"Don't use the Pill past age 40"

"If a friend of mine who is over 40 mentions to me that she's on the Pill, I'm not shy about advising her to get off it right away. As you get older, you really have to pay attention to how estrogen can potentially cause damage to your heart. Most women don't think about this when choosing contraception, but birth control pills can lead to blood clots that could cause a heart attack or stroke in women in their mid-30s to late 40s. The good news? Once you go off the Pill, your hormones regulate quickly and your heart-attack or stroke risk will go away in about six weeks." --Karla Kurrelmeyer, M.D., cardiologist with the Methodist DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center in Houston

"Any soda is too much soda"

"Most of us grew up with the idea that soda in moderation can be part of a healthy diet. But science is now telling us that those who drink just one serving a day have an increased risk of a heart attack. A can of regular soda packs the equivalent of 14 teaspoons of sugar, and unlike the white stuff in solid foods, liquid sugar in soda is absorbed by the body immediately. That's one reason why drinking soda regularly results in low levels of HDL, the protective cholesterol that prevents heart attacks. If friends or family members still drink regular soda, I tell them to quit it." --Jeff Ritterman, M.D., cardiologist in Richmond, CA

"Think twice about throwing surprise parties"

"A woman I know was thrown a birthday party--she walked into a dark room, everyone yelled 'Surprise!' and she was so stunned that she instantly suffered heart-attack symptoms and ended up in the ICU. She experienced a condition called 'broken heart syndrome,' which is most common in women. Shock, fear, or extreme nervousness can temporarily impair the heart's ability to function, possibly because the surge of hormones like adrenaline overloads the blood vessels. You don't always have the power to prevent a shocking event in life, but you can let your friends know you'd prefer it if the party really wasn't a surprise!" --Ilan S. Wittstein, M.D., cardiologist at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore

"Listen to your intuition: If something feels off, get to a doctor"

"When friends ask me about heart-attack symptoms, I always stress the importance of their own intuition. Women don't often present with the crushing chest pain men do. Almost every female survivor I've treated has told me that her gut said something was very wrong before she went into cardiac arrest, even if she showed no symptoms. One woman I know felt some arm pain and body aches and had a 'funny feeling' about it, but her doctor told her the problem was probably muscular. Sure enough, she suffered, but thankfully survived, a massive heart attack. So if you feel any symptoms that nag at your intuition--discomfort that's unusual, intense, or just gives you a bad vibe--listen to it, and call 911 right away." --Suzanne Steinbaum, M.D., attending cardiologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City and author of Dr. Suzanne Steinbaum's Heart Book

"Pack your bags--you need a vacation"

"My friend is a really high-powered executive who thought she was perfectly healthy--until her doctor discovered a coronary blockage that required a stent. She was shocked, and exclaimed to me, 'I'm too young for this!' I told her that heart disease absolutely can happen to a woman in her 40s; if you don't take time to recharge your batteries, stress hormones like cortisol may be putting you at risk. I told her she had to start leaving the office on time: Studies have found that working more than 11 hours a day can raise your odds of heart disease by 67 percent. She made a real effort to change her lifestyle, and got her health back on track." --Shyla High, M.D., cardiologist in Dallas

LiveJournal Tags: Health,Heart,HealthyDiet,Fitness

Eating Disorders, Dieting and Body Image: One Therapist’s Perspective

By Kenneth Bruce, Ph.D, Clinical Psychologist  March 10, 2013

Being a psychologist is a challenging and intensely rewarding experience.

In my day job, I am a psychologist. Sounds humble enough, right? In my therapy role, I work with many types of patients, but mainly with women who have an eating disorder (usually anorexia or bulimia). It’s the world’s best day job, and I mean that sincerely.

I should probably tell you how I came to be so lucky as to become a psychologist (and to be working mainly with women clients) in the first place. First thing, is that I was blessed with wonderful parents and gentle older siblings. Growing up, my family taught me to respect and help myself and others too. They were all strong and resilient role models, who –happily—also never took themselves too seriously; this made the whole process more fun.

I was lucky also because my family made the repeated point of showing me that women were in some ways different from men, but always equal to them. This left a lasting and positive impression on my attitudes towards both women and men for sure.

Now, let’s fast forward through adolescence and on to university, where the deal to become a psychologist was clinched for me. The real hook to become a psychologist happened at the University of Toronto. It was one of those fabled “A-ha” moments. I was taking an abnormal psychology class, and the professor was showing us a video of an elderly, heavily European-accented therapist interviewing a young woman with schizophrenia. You know, hallucinations and delusions, the real deal.

The interview was amazing: the woman with schizophrenia was discussing the most unbelievable and bizarre things (hearing voices, being followed by the FBI, aliens landing in the back yard, and on and on…) and I saw that the interviewer was not judging or acting shocked or surprised in any way. In fact, the interviewer was being genuinely interested and full-on empathic. As a result of how the interviewer acted, the woman with schizophrenia somehow felt comfortable enough then to reveal amazingly bizarre personal and intimate thoughts and feelings. And the result was that the interviewer was able to offer her some much-needed understanding, compassion and help, too. I was riveted.

So, what hooked me to become a psychologist was partly that video, but mainly the reaction of the majority of my classmates. Many were laughing out loud in reaction to what the person with schizophrenia was saying. I’d like to think mostly their laughter was the novelty of it, or maybe their nervousness, but I am sure some of it was ignorance, insensitivity and a little condescension too. The seeds of my desire to help de-stigmatize mental illness for the public at large, and to help those psychologically in need was planted that day. The focus on eating disorders came a little later on.

Fast forward to after grad school– I needed a job, obviously, and hopefully I could find a career too! I liked biology and genetics, I liked what shaped long-lasting personality problems, and I liked how the environment shapes everything along the way. I had been studying alcoholism, but what initially drew me to eating disorders as a specialty (or career) was that eating disorders, like alcoholism, are surprisingly so biologically determined. Obviously the environment is important in causing eating disorders too, and the intersection of the two is what is so fascinating.

In the public at large, and even in the psychology community, people with eating disorders can get a bad rap. They are often misjudged as difficult to engage in treatment, or worse, little entitled princesses deserving of their suffering.

What causes eating disorders? Good question, indeed! Well, it’s hard to develop an eating disorder without dieting somewhere along the way. Dieting is very common in most western societies (with about a third to a half of women being on a diet at any one time). Eating disorders (thankfully) are less common: Anorexia affects about 1% of adolescent and adult females, bulimia affects about 2% of same. Other similar eating disorders (varying in symptom definitions) can affect up to 10% of women. Men are affected too, but much less frequently: about 10% of anorexia and bulimia cases are men.

What is the role of dieting in eating disorders? Diets come and go, and vary from one country to another as well (and, by the way, none of them is particularly effective in the long run for the average person– sorry everyone!) But the rates of anorexia and bulimia are roughly the same around the world, however, which means that the role of society’s push to diet on the development of eating disorders is surprisingly less than you might think.

Dieting is socially-driven, but not all dieters develop an eating disorder. So it’s not just dieting, but something else too: Why do some dieters develop an eating disorder, while others are spared?

Well, genetics and biology seem important, as do prenatal and perinatal stressors. Puberty is important, obviously as well: Eating disorders are relatively rare before puberty. This may also be a biological process, although it’s the peak time when adolescent girls feel the societal pressures to be thin as well.

Developmental factors play a role too. Childhood adversity (particularly sexual abuse), and being overweight in childhood too, are predisposing factors for eating disorders. The body becomes a source of guilt and shame.

Genes also shape personality, and traits like perfectionism and impulsiveness seem to be risk factors for eating disorders as well.

Finally, not everyone who diets takes it seriously. People with an eating disorder become consumed by their caloric restriction; dieting becomes perceived as a necessity for self-worth and survival.

If you are concerned that you, or someone you love might be suffering, here are five tell-tale red flags that suggest a possible eating disorder:

1. Increasingly driven focus or preoccupation with food, dieting weight or shape, to the exclusion of formerly valued interests and activities.
2. Intensely engaging in weight-control behaviors (strict dieting, eliminating or limiting calorie-dense foods, intense and prolonged exercising to burn calories, misuse of appetite suppressants, laxatives, diuretics or enemas to lose weight).
3. Intense guilt, shame, anxiety or anger around eating. Refusing to eat normal portions or expected types of food. Refusing regular meals and snacks.
4. Precipitous or marked weight loss or refusal to maintain a normal weight for age and height.
5. Frequent episodes of excessive or out-of-control eating (emptying cupboards or fridge, eating much more than normally expected, large amounts of money spent on food) or evidence of self-induced vomiting after eating.

So how to treat eating disorders? Well, this leads me to an old and tired (but still funny) joke. How many psychologists does it take to change a light bulb? Answer: just one, but the light bulb has to want to change.

So, engaging the person with an eating disorder in treatment is the first step, obviously. If she/he is not on board with the goals of therapy, nothing good happens in the long run. This can get scary in severely underweight cases, but the principal remains the same: the patient has to want it. Helping her find what she wants (and why) is the therapist’s job, and their job together is achieving what they want together. This usually means helping patients feel less distressed, or be less impaired, by preoccupations relating to weight and shape. It can also mean finding other sources of autonomy and self-worth (like family, school, and friends).

Hopefully, another benefit is that the underweight patient’s weight normalizes, and binge eating or vomiting (if present), will cease. The idea is not to make the patient happier with her shape, but to make her weight and shape less dominant in the bigger picture of her life.

Roughly half of patients will improve after a cycle of therapy, and it can take many cycles before everyone gets better. That’s encouraging, but we need to do better, obviously.

For me, it’s highly rewarding trying to help each new patient. And I wouldn’t do any other job, or dream of any other career. Well, ok, maybe a race-car driver could be cool too.

-Ken

–

About Kenneth Bruce

Ken Bruce is a clinical psychologist, specializing in treating eating disorders (anorexia, bulimia and binge

LiveJournal Tags: eating disorders,health,weight

eating disorder), anxiety disorders, stress, depression, grief and relationship difficulties. Ken has been a psychologist at the Douglas Mental Health University Institute over over 13 years, and an Assistant Professor for over a decade at McGill University. Passionate about therapy, he now works in private practice. You can visit Ken at his website at PsyPrestige.com

The Major Health Risk You Take Every Day

This article originally ran in Shine from Yahoo Canada!
By The Editors at Sharecare | Healthy Living – Mon, 3 Dec, 2012 3:39 PM EST

 

Sitting all day may be the worst thing you can do for your health.
These tricks will get you moving.

By Rachael Anderson

Most people think smoking is the worst thing they can possibly do for their health. But in reality, perhaps the worst thing of all is something most of us do every day: sit. We sit when we drive, work, eat, use the computer, watch TV and read. In fact, before you read any further, you should probably stand up. It turns out that the more time you stay planted on your rear, the less time you're destined to live on this planet.

Take a break from sitting

Here's what we know:

Eye-opening research shows that keeping your butt in a chair (or on the couch) for hours at a time can lead to cancer, obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and premature death. One study by the American Cancer Society found that women who sat six hours a day were 37 percent more likely to die by the end of the 13-year study period; men who sat were 18 percent more likely to die. Another study tied 49,000 U.S. cases of breast cancer and 43,000 of colon cancer to prolonged sitting.

Sitting isn't dangerous just because it means you're not exercising. It's dangerous all by itself.

Prolonged time spent on your bum has significant metabolic consequences. It negatively affects your blood sugar, triglycerides, good cholesterol, resting blood pressure and levels of the "appetite hormone" leptin, all of which are biomarkers of obesity and cardiovascular disease.

Sitting also sabotages the lymph system, which helps the body fend off infections. Lymph vessels, which drain waste materials created by an infection, don't have a pump like the heart; they're controlled by rhythmic contractions of the muscles in your legs. So when you sit, the lymph system can't do its job.

If you sit all day but make sure to get to the gym or go for a walk after work, isn't that enough?

Unfortunately, no.

"Bursts of exercise is not the answer; two hours of exercise per day will not compensate for 22 hours of sitting," says cancer specialist and author David Agus, MD. In fact, sitting for five or six hours a day, even if you spend an hour a day at the gym, is the equivalent of smoking an entire pack of cigarettes.

How to sit less during the day

Moving more is tough, especially since most people's jobs revolve around sitting. But breaking up endless time on your bum, even for a few minutes, can make a huge difference. Key enzymes move, blood flows, mind and muscles flex. Here is what you can do to sit less:

• Get up and move at least every 30 minutes. Get water or coffee. Pace up and down the hall or just stand when you're on a phone call. Even fidgeting helps.
• Go ahead, watch your favorite TV shows-but don't just sit there. Cook, fold laundry, empty the dishwasher or ride a stationary bike.
• If you have to spend all day at your computer, consider investing in a treadmill desk like Michael Roizen, MD. That way you can keep moving even while you work.
• Make sure you exercise. Even though working out won't completely rid you of the negative effects of sitting, a study found that active people who sat for long periods lived longer than inactive people who sat for long periods.

 

LiveJournal Tags: health,longevity,health risks,sitting,obesity

11 Foods Most Likely to Cause Sickness

This article was originally posted in Shine from Yahoo on Tue, 25 Sep, 2012 4:50 PM EDT
No authors were credited on the original article.



As long as there are no allergy issues, a simple peanut butter sandwich seems like one of the safest and most wholesome foods one could eat or feed to a child. However, the recent Trader Joe's peanut butter recall (which has now been expanded to include 100 different products that contain nuts and seeds made by supplier Sunland) highlights how food poisoning can come from our favorite, most nutritious foods. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reports that about 48 million Americans per year are infected with bacteria, viruses, or other pathogens from contaminated food. Nearly 150,000 people are hospitalized and 3,000 die. Some sources say that the numbers could be as much as double the CDC estimates. Germs spread from meat and poultry account for 30-40 percent of infections, and according to Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), 10 other items cause another 40 percent of cases. Safe handling, washing and cooking are highly recommended to reduce the risks.




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Poultry and meat
Raw poultry and meat may contain harmful bacteria, including salmonella, listeria, campylobacter, and E. coli. Estimates vary, at least 30-40% of food borne illnesses are caused by meat and poultry. Thorough cooking kills these pathogens. Be careful not to cross-contaminate other items in the refrigerator, sink, or on the countertop....  







     
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Leafy greens
Lettuce and other leafy greens are super healthy but also susceptible to contamination through improper processing or handling. The CDC says about 14% of food poisoning comes from these vegetables. Most of the bacteria are in the outer leaves, discard and rinse the rest a few times. Bagged salad should also be washed.




      


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Eggs
Eggs can be contaminated with salmonella. Store in the refrigerator and cook thoroughly before eating. Avoid raw or runny eggs. In 2010, more than 500 million eggs were recalled after 1,500 people were infected with salmonella.    







      

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Tuna
Raw tuna that is not properly refrigerated can cause poisoning from a substance that develops in decaying flesh called scrombotoxin. Symptoms include: headache, cramps, nausea, and loss of vision. Cooking does not destroy the contaminant. The FDA warns scrombotoxin is particularly dangerous for the elderly and those with compromised immune systems and say it often goes unreported because people don't associate the symptoms with fish consumption.







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Oysters
Raw oysters may be infected with norovirus, which causes gastroenteritis, or vibrio, a dangerous bacterium related to cholera. The FDA recommends that people with certain health conditions avoid raw oysters. For more information, click here.       






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Potatoes
 Food poisoning linked to this popular vegetable is often caused by dishes like potato salad that are improperly refrigerated. Potatoes baked in foil and kept warm can too long can also develop botulism. Scrub well, cook thoroughly, and store prepared dishes in the refrigerator







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Ice cream
Outbreaks of food poisoning can occur when pasteurized milk is cross-contaminated with unpasteurized milk. Soft ice cream machines that aren't regularly cleaned may also harbor bacteria. At home, the USDA recommends people making their own ice cream use a cooked egg base.








      
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Cheese
Cheese can become contaminated during processing, but the greatest danger comes from eating cheese made from unpasteurized milk. Raw, soft cheese, such as Brie or Mexican-style Queso Fresco, may carry listeria, a pathogen that is particularly dangerous for pregnant women. The FDA recommends avoiding cheese that is not labeled pasteurized.    







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Tomatoes
Because of the way food is distributed through the agricultural system, an outbreak of salmonella at a single facility can affect thousands of people. Salmonella can live in the raw fruit, but multiply when tomatoes are cut and left in a warm environment. Store items like fresh salsa in the refrigerator. Home canned (and occasionally processed) tomatoes may harbor botulism, which the CDC says is destroyed by boiling for ten minutes





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Sprouts
The warm, moist conditions that are ideal for growing sprouts are also great for cultivating bacteria. The CDC recommends that children, the elderly, and anyone with a compromised immune system avoid consuming raw sprouts











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Berries
Since 1990, CSPI reports there have been 25 reported outbreaks of food poisoning from berries. The FDA says contamination usually occurs during harvesting or from contaminated water. The big problem is, outbreak can impact thousands of consumers such as when farm worker contaminated 2.6 million pounds of strawberries with Hepatitis A in 1997. Rinse berries thoroughly and find trusted local source for in season fruit.

LiveJournal Tags: foods,sick,wash,clean,food poisoning